Supplementary Notes on Campbell's use of the Word "Facts"

In his Foundation of Christian Union (under "Fact") Alexander Campbell introduces his definition of the word "fact" with this statement, "Fact means something done." Then he proceeds to compare it with the meaning of deed "in the reign of James I." Since he makes this distinction, it seems this use of the word "deed," in his mind, means something different than the usual meaning of the word. What does he mean by "in the reign of James I"? He may be referring to the King James translators who would often translate ergon (work) as deed. A few sentences later he writes, "All those facts, or works of God, which are purely physical...." Again, "all those facts or works of God, which are purely moral...." And again, "these facts, or the hand of God ...." Also, "No fact in the history of six thousand years, no work of God in creation...." And from "Confirmation of the Testimony," he writes, "By facts we always mean something said or done. The works of God and the words of God, or the things done or spoken by God, are those facts which are laid down...." And, "No fact in the history of six thousand years, no work of God in creation, providence, or redemption...." It seems he means to imply that a fact (in the Bible) is a work (or word) of God.

He cannot mean deed in the common meaning of the word since he often compares fact with truth. For example, he says, "Truth and fact, though often confounded, are not the same. All facts are truths, but all truths are not facts." He often makes this connection. From "Testimony" he writes, "Now, as all the facts and all the truth which can renovate human nature...." From "Confirmation of the Testimony," he writes, "All true and useful knowledge is an acquaintance with facts; and all true science is acquired from the observation and comparison of facts." From "Faith" he writes, "when Moses has recorded his last fact, or testified his last truth...." and "the value of faith is the importance of the facts which the testimony presents, and the assurance afforded that the testimony is true." And again, "Let it be again repeated and remembered that there is no other manner of believing a fact than by receiving it as true."

Since Campbell wishes to tie in "facts" with "truth," it seems that what he means by "fact" is "something that’s established by a work or word of God." Perhaps we would say he means "established fact" or "proven truth."

In order to understand Campbell, we must realize that he was fighting against the inventions of men in the forms of creeds, confessions, and catechisms. For example, In "Purity of Speech," he writes about man-made doctrines, "Concerning these and all such doctrines, and all the speculations to which they have given rise, we have the privilege neither to affirm nor deny - neither to believe nor doubt; because God has not proposed them to us in his word, and there is no command to believe them. If they are deduced from the Scriptures, we have them in the facts and declarations of God's Spirit: if they are not deduced from the Bible, we are free from all the difficulties and strifes which they have engendered and created."

He considered the only true creed to be the Bible. He argued strongly that we should simply accept the "facts" of scripture and not add to it the opinions of men. In his mind the Bible contained the true testimony of the works of God and the words of God which had been supernaturally confirmed by the Holy Spirit. For example, in Chapter XX of The Christian System he writes, "The Spirit of God inspired all the spiritual ideas in the New Testament, and confirmed them by miracles; and he is ever present with the word that he inspired. ... Now we can not separate the Spirit and word of God, and ascribe so much power to the one and so much to the other; for so did not the apostles. Whatever the word does, the Spirit does; and whatever the Spirit does in the work of converting men, the word does. We neither believe nor teach abstract Spirit nor abstract word, but word and Spirit, Spirit and word." And in "Fundamental Fact" he writes, "But the grandeur, sublimity, and beauty of the foundation of hope, and of ecclesiastical or social union, established by the author and founder of Christianity consisted in this, - that THE BELIEF OF ONE FACT, and that upon the best evidence in the world, is all that is requisite, as far as faith goes, to salvation. The belief of this ONE FACT, and submission to ONE INSTITUTION expressive of it, is all that is required of Heaven to admission into the church. ...The one fact is expressed in a single proposition - that Jesus the Nazarene is the Messiah. The evidence upon which it is to be believed is the testimony of twelve men, confirmed by prophecy, miracles, and spiritual gifts." From "Testimony" he writes, "Now, as all the facts and all the truth which can renovate human nature are in the testimony of God, and as that testimony cost the labor and the lives of the wisest and best that ever lived, that testimony, to us, is just as valuable as the facts which it records and the labors and the lives which it cost, and just as indispensable in the process of regeneration as were the labors and the lives of Prophets, Apostles, and the Son of God." From "Confirmation of the Testimony," he writes, "Something must be done before it can be known, reported, or believed. Hence, in the order of nature, there is first the fact; then the testimony; and then the belief. ... If, then, there was nothing said or done, there could be no testimony, and so no faith. ... But supernatural facts require supernatural confirmations. Hence, when the confirmation of the gospel is spoken of in the apostolic writings, it is resolved into the doings or works of the Holy Spirit." From "Faith," he writes, "The value of a bank-bill is the amount of the precious metals which it represents, and the indisputable evidence of its genuineness; so the value of faith is the importance of the facts which the testimony presents, and the assurance afforded that the testimony is true. True or unfeigned faith may be contrasted with feigned faith; but true faith is the belief of truth; for he that believes a lie believes in vain. ... Let it be again repeated and remembered that there is no other manner of believing a fact than by receiving it as true." Then Campbell quotes Pollock, "Hear, then, what faith, True Christian faith, which brought salvation, was: Belief in all that God reveal'd to men; Observe: - in all that God reveal'd to men, In all he promised threaten'd, commanded, said, Without exception, and without a doubt."

Now that we have laid this foundation to understand what Campbell was articulating, we can better understand what he meant by the statements in Chapter II of The Christian System, "The Bible, or the Old and New Testaments, in Hebrew and Greek, contains a full and perfect revelation of God and his will, adapted to man as he now is." And, "The words of the Bible contain all the ideas in it. These words, then, rightly understood, and the ideas are clearly perceived. ... This is essential to its character, as a revelation from God; otherwise it would be no revelation, but would always require a class of inspired men to unfold and reveal its true sense to mankind." And again, "The Bible is a book of facts, not of opinions, theories, abstract generalities, nor of verbal definitions. It is a book of awful facts, grand and sublime beyond description. These facts reveal God and man, and contain within them the reasons of all piety and righteousness, or what is commonly called religion and morality. The meaning of the Bible facts is the true biblical doctrine."

In Campbell’s mind, the Bible did not just contain words and ideas. It contained "facts" -- truths that had been established by the works or the words of God, confirmed by the Holy Spirit, and easily perceived by those who receive this supernatural testimony.

Footnotes:

Quotations taken from The Christian System, Standard Publishing Company, originally published in 1839